Iris
by jachowdown
Summary: Sixth Year Hogwarts. "Something wicked this way comes..." More mild with occasional cursing in early chapters. Rated "M" for later chapters. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

[[DISCLAIMER: Honestly. If I were affiliated with JK Rowling in any way, shape, or form, (excluding being a fan of her work) do you think I'd be lurking around FanFiction? Probably not. Anyways! Huge "Dramione" fan, always have been, always will be (haters gon' hate.) Set in the Trio's sixth years, I've tried to remain as canon as possible regarding timeline wise. Clearly the pairing is not canon. But I hope you enjoy :D] Based from a storyline I used to RP years ago. For those of you from those myspace days, Mentally Defined is back, ya'll.]

"Iris"

Hermione Granger was frowning for roughly the third time that morning. It was not a happenstance that occurred from an unpleasant encounter, nor was it a product of an unfortunate event. In her opinion, the frowns this morning were caused by an annoyance that was immeasurable by others, a burden so heavy, it could only be dealt with by the person who managed it. Her creased brow was attributed to the worst nightmare any girl could have dreamt: her hair. Hermione's brow furrowed ever more as another gust of wind blew her mass of brown curls in front of her face, the locks entangling within her eyelashes.

"Damn!" she muttered.

Impatiently, she pushed the tendrils away from her eyes yet again and continued her brisk stroll along the rolling green hills that surrounded Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Bravely facing the dry, autumnal wind that swirled around the grounds, Hermione marched forward, _A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration_ clutched between her fingers.

In the past, a return to Hogwarts would have been the ending to a perfectly careless summer. But, as the effects of last year's losses were still tangible. From the disappointment of not scoring a perfect result on her OWL examinations, to the still dull throb of losing Sirius, there was little revelry to celebrate her return. Determination drove her further to make up for the results she fell short of in her examinations.

Dutifully trudging along, Hermione drew her cloak closer around her body, shielding herself as much as possible from the wind. Textbook pressed securely to her chest, she marched along, weaving skillfully around a grove of trees until she stopped in a small clearing. Gazing around at the seeming empty space, Hermione slid against the trunk of a tree.

"Holed in the Library!'" she scoffed, repeating Ron's latest comment about her study habits. "I'm outside now. Not a date, but close enough." Hermione reasoned with herself aloud. She opened her textbook and sighed, the scent of fresh pages gently lulling her into a sense of security and comfort.

The sky began to lighten overhead. The light pink of morning slowly faded into blue. The sun overhead, the light filtered into thick, golden bars that lay in perfectly shadowed disarray on the forest's floor. Sighing contently, Hermione closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wooden bark of the tree. The wind from earlier had died down, and a soft, but gentle breeze wafted through the air. A soft hum reverberated in her throat, a lullaby mingling with the breeze that rolled by. Little did she know, a presence heard the soft hum, and piqued by curiosity, headed towards the gentle sound he heard.

The telltale snapping of branches were the first indication. Hermione's eyes snapped open, her head swirling to peek around the tree. The shadow of a person walking towards her moved through the bars of golden light. She rolled her eyes and readjusted herself against the tree, calling out behind her.

"Morning Ron…or Harry. Or both. If it is you, Ronald, don't think I've quite forgiven you for forgetting Harry on the train. And Harry, if that's you, don't think it's polite to snoop on other's conversations. Even if it was the slime called Malfoy. All for naught, too. I told you, he's nothing-"

She expected some sort of response, a huff of indignation perhaps. But what she did not expect was the loud, unfamiliar groan that echoed through the clearing.

"For Salazar's sake. Can I not go anywhere in this forsaken school, or the world, without one of the bloody Trio?"

Hermione stood up abruptly, her wand drawn and pointed straight at the throat of Draco Malfoy. Fourth frown of that day: she'd age far before her time. Brown met silver, and for a moment of tense silence, Draco raised his arms, his wand still firmly clutched in his fingers. He stared at her, a sneer wiped across his thin, aristocratic features.

"Now", he drawled on, "I'm not accustomed to your filthy muggle customs, so bear with me. But I doubt it's common courtesy to continue pointing your wand to someone who clearly does not want a duel." He pointedly glanced up at his raised arms before glaring back at her.

Hermione's glare narrowed, her brown eyes disappearing into thin slits, her brow creasing further. With a frustrated huff, she lowered her wand and stepped away from him. She muttered at him through a painfully clenched jaw.

"Malfoy" she spat, "what brings you here?"

He huffed, his eyes never leaving hers. "I went for a walk. I heard someone. I found you."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Fine." She clipped before turning around. "You can leave now."

Draco's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What? I 'can' leave? As in I'm given permission?"

She scoffed bitterly. "Please tell me you don't need an escort."

He stepped towards her, anger contorting his face. "Listen Mud-"

Her "protego" screamed through the air before he finished his statement. Draco's body flew against a nearby tree, thudding loudly as he made contact with the ground in a crumpled heap of black robes. "Expelliarmus!" Hermione shrieked. Quite satisfactorily, his wand flew into her hand. He stood, fury now contorting his features almost animalistically.

"Give. Me. My. Wand. Bitch." He said dangerously.

"You forgot 'please', you prick." She replied, sarcasm dripping from her tone.

"My father will-"

Hermione turned away and laughed hollowly. "Yeah. He'll hear about this. I'm scared. Petrified, even. Regardless, I'm not the one without a wand. Leave."

Draco moved in front of her, his eyes flashing at her.

"I'm not leaving without my wand."

She shrugged. "Not my fault. Now, you're interrupting me. Leave."

She slid back down the trunk of the tree, both wands firmly stuck in her hands. She grinned victoriously.

Draco stood there, stunned momentarily. His eyes fixated themselves on his wand stuck between her dirty, muggle tainted fingers. Torn between the shame of losing a (unfair, in his eyes) duel and wand to the Gryffindor Princess and the shame of facing his house wand-less, his next move was so shocking, it elicited a shriek that could have raised the dead from Hermione: Draco Malfoy sat next to her.

((Author's Note: There we go! End of chapter one. Comments, reviews, questions are all appreciated! And thanks to Sabby for BETA-ing me!))


	2. Chapter 2

[[DISCLAIMER: Honestly. If I were affiliated with JK Rowling in any way, shape, or form, (excluding being a fan of her work) do you think I'd be lurking around FanFiction? Probably not. Anyways! Huge "Dramione" fan, always have been, always will be (haters gon' hate.) Set in the Trio's sixth years, I've tried to remain as canon as possible regarding timeline wise. Clearly the pairing is not canon. But I hope you enjoy :D]]

"Iris"-Chapter Two

A shriek of horror echoed through the grounds of Hogwarts: a scream of sheer terror that wielded the power of a banshee's cry. This lone scream however, erupted from the pallid face of Hermione Granger. Draco Malfoy continued making himself comfortable, his posture seemingly relaxed against the earth beneath him. She felt her eyes tear from her scream, her vocal chords straining as she scrambled away from him. Her brown eyes stared at him, a mixture of horror, disgust, curiosity, and shock painted on her features. His stormy eyes met hers once more, a smirk spreading along his lips.

"Oh come now, Granger. Longbottom's got more wind than you" he drawled. Speechless, she continued staring. He rolled his eyes. "My wand, and all of this will be behind us. You won't say anything, I won't say anything, we can pretend this," he gestured in the air between them, "never existed."

Hermione scoffed and turned her head, her cheeks firing in a brilliant shade of red not unlike that of Ron's hair. He continued speaking to her, his tone infuriatingly bored. "Granger, Granger, Granger. You have a decently constructed bone structure….for a Mudblood at least. It would be such a pity should something happen to it."

Her head whipped towards him, her eyes staring daggers. "Are you threatening me, Malfoy?" She tensed. The smirk transformed itself into a hideous smile that reminded her of more of a grimace.

"Not at all, Granger. I'm simply stating a fact. So dull for someone supposedly known as the 'Brightest Witch of Our Age.'"

She huffed in indignation, her brown hues glaring at him from her new position some feet away. "What bothers you more, Malfoy? The fact that I'm better than you? Or the fact I'm a muggle-born and yet still better than you?"

It was his turn to glare: Draco was in no need to hear of Hermione's "accomplishments" in the wizarding world. They were plastered on the pages of the Prophet since the Dark Lord's return the summer previously. He shrugged and turned away, his right hand hovering above his left forearm subconsciously. Draco's gaze fixated upon the clearing in front of them. This was wrong, this was so wrong, and yet here he was: frightened, anxious, and bested again by a Trio member. _He's just a boy…_ His mother's voice danced in his mind, wrapping around his thoughts like the vines of Devil's Snare. The smirk he had slowly melted from his face as he fell deeper into his thoughts.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably, her fingers still firmly wrapped tightly around both wands. She watched silently as his expression changed. A small knot in the pit of her stomach formed, her eyes swept over his face.

The thinness of his face was only highlighted by the sunlight above. A normally pale human (creature), a sick grey pallor spread across the skin of his cheeks. The hollows of his cheeks were more sunken than usual: the dark circles tell-tales signs of long nights spent awake than tucked away in the peaceful reprieve of slumber. The platinum blonde hair, so normally slicked back was a tousled mess settled upon his brow.

Draco pulled himself from his thoughts, the prying feeling of eyes lingering upon him brought him back to his surroundings. He glanced at Granger, the scrutiny of her stare causing him to turn away in disgust. He was not blind to the effects of having lived with the Dark Lord in the same roof as him. And more so than that, he was far more poignant to the weight of the task that was expected of him. Agitated, he ran his hands through his locks.

"What on Merlin's dear earth is wrong with you?" he snapped at Hermione. "Blinded by my dashing good looks? Or too stupid to speak without your dogs?"

Hermione averted her gaze, fire blooming once more in her cheeks. She made a face, the knot in her gut unravelling as quickly as it had formed. She waved her hand dismissively. "None of the above. Go away, Malfoy. I'll owl your wand to you later."

He inched towards her, his eyes locked on his wand still latched in her grasp.

"Now. See this. If you give me my wand, Granger, I'll cut you a deal. I won't mess up any unruly sprig of that bush you try calling 'hair'. I wouldn't waste my magic on something like you."

Hermione blanched and hesitated for a moment, her eyes locking to his. In spite of the chilled, haunted look that wrote its story upon his face, Malfoy's eyes were as intense as ever. Pools of melted silver that carefully masked the emotions he dare not betray. She hesitated before tossing his wand on the ground near his feet, her own drawn again defensively.

"Try anything, and you'll pay. Dearly. You have your wand Malfoy. Now leave."

She turned her gaze back to the grove of trees that surrounded them. Draco stood, wiping the dirt and loose debris from his trousers before pocketing his wand. Without another word, he turned and began walking back up the path he had come from. Unbeknownst to her, a small, sinister grin began to twitch at his lips. Abruptly he turned around and walked back, speaking almost triumphantly.

"You know what, Granger? I quite like this spot. You leave."

He sat back down, eliciting yet another hair-raising shriek from the curly haired brunette a few feet away.

"Are. You. Bloody. KIDDING. ME?!" she shouted. Her wand was pointed at him again, aimed once more at his throat. Malfoy raised his gaze and pocketed his wand before leaning back on his forearms.

"Nope. The view from here is lovely." He paused. "With the exception of a certain eyesore," he said with a glare, "this is exactly the place I need to unwind, you know? Relax. So, you may excuse yourself now." He raised his arms towards her, flicking his wrists in a shooing fashion that made Hermione see red.

"NO!" She spat. "This was MY spot. I claimed it. YOU leave." She gestured angrily to the space around them.

"I don't see your name on it."

She bit her lip and sighed, exasperated. She pointed her wand at the nearest tree. Taking care, she slowly began carving her name before Draco stood and began attempting to do the same, carving his name above hers. They withdrew their wands at the same time; the end result was a mar on the tree similar to looking at a symbol in Ancient Runes. Illegible and not much more than a hideous scar on a tree trunk, it was marked. As far as Hermione was concerned, it was hers. The mark a symbol of her claim.

"There. Mine."

"What?! You can't even see anything! Clearly it says 'Draco'."

Hermione sighed and placed her hands on her hips before inching closer. She scrutinized the trunk of the tree before turning back to face him.

"Oh. You're right!"

She almost laughed out loud at the shock of surprise settled on his face. That horrid grimace of a smile was back. Before he had a moment to relish his "victory", she continued.

"I can clearly make out where you've carved 'Ferret Git King'! Bravo, Draco, to that I applaud you."

The use of his first name hung in the air like the lone shot of a gun. The foreign taste of his name lingered on her tongue. They both tensed visibly, uncertain by her sudden change in nomenclature. Hermione cleared her throat before continuing.

"Now: while your artwork has permanently disfigured the tree, I would prefer if you would leave."

Still caught off guard by her blasé use of his first name, Draco shook his head. Planting his feet firmly, it was clear that he was going nowhere. With a frustrated huff, Hermione sat back down.

"Fine. You stay over there. I'll stay here. See? Fair."

He stared at her, attempting to figure out why his audacity was somehow more accepted than hers. Unwilling to allow her presence to deter him, he sat down as well.

The silence between them stretched through the space, dividing them both into a tense silence only broken by the occasional wind. They avoided each other's gaze, each one staring off into some space that was anything but the other. Hermione glanced down, a small dead leaf a few inches away. She grabbed it by the stem and began twirling it absent mindedly between her fingers.

Draco's gaze followed her actions, his eyes settling on her hands as she fiddled with the corpse of a leaf that was once green. He focused on her fingers, taking notice of the nibbled condition of her fingernails. _Fingernail biting…_ he thought, _so barbaric. Uncivilized…_. His eyes wandered back to his own hands, covered in hangnails and broken skin from his habit of nail-biting. He glanced back at her hands, still playing with the stupid leaf. His trailed his eyes from her hands to her arms, to the bow-legged fashion she sat on the ground. What he saw next piqued his curiosity: on her legs, instead of the regular uniform skirt and knee high socks, was blue fabric that hung ever so flatteringly (for a muggle-born) on her legs. He tilted his head, his eyes fixated upon the fabric, attempting to figure out what form of trouser she chose to wear.

Hermione could feel his eyes on her. She glanced up, the leaf cracking in two as she threw it carelessly against the groun.

"What?!" She snapped at him, irritated. "Do I have a tear in my jeans?"

Draco broke his contact with her pants.

"Genes? Other than your inferior blood status, I see no flaw in your genetics."

Hermione stared at him as if he had grown two heads. He scowled.

"What?! You asked about a tear in your 'genes', Granger. I was merely responding."

She sat there for a moment, bewildered at what he was attempting to say. Suddenly, it hit her. Unable to control it, Hermione began to laugh. It was Draco's turn to look startled: clearly this was the tear in her "genes" she was mentioning. Granger was obviously insane. He sat quietly as Granger continued laughing. She tipped over onto the ground, clutching her sides as she gasped for mouthfuls of air. He began growing concerned; the desire to smile as her delighted peals of laughter shook the air directly conflicted with his want to slowly extract himself from her obvious insanity.

((Author's note: Hey guys! Thanks for reading :D Enjoy and remember! Reviews, comments, general statements about the weather are all appreciated! –jachowdown))


	3. Chapter 3

[[DISCLAIMER: Honestly. If I were affiliated with JK Rowling in any way, shape, or form, (excluding being a fan of her work) do you think I'd be lurking around FanFiction? Probably not. Anyways! Huge "Dramione" fan, always have been, always will be (haters gon' hate.) Set in the Trio's sixth years, I've tried to remain as canon as possible regarding timeline wise. Clearly the pairing is not canon. But I hope you enjoy :D]]

"Iris"-Chapter Three

After several moments of sheer, unadulterated laughter, Hermione began to settle down. Her chest heaved as she took a few shallow gasps, her face aching from the smile that lay plastered on her lips. Regaining some sense of composure, she slowly sat up. Draco's face was a mix of shock and unabashed confusion. Hermione took in a shaky breath, the corners of her mouth still twitching.

"Ah. I apologize. I should have specified. I'm wearing a sort of trouser. 'Blue jeans', are what they're called. They have nothing to do with genetics" she explained.

His eyebrows raised quizzically. "What…what ARE they?" He resisted the urge to touch the fabric.

Hermione smiled pleasantly and stretched out her legs. "They're made from denim. Far more popular in the Americas than here."

Draco sat there, his silver hues gently swept over the now extended view of her "jerean" (or whatever) clad legs. Embarrassed, he glanced away and fixed his glance back to the ground.

"Ah. Well…"

Awkward silence again settled between them. Draco sat more rigidly: his mind replaying the sound of her laughter. The sound was completely different than what he was used to: the mimicking simpers of the Dark Lord at his table. The maniacal cackle that erupted from his aunt Bellatrix, and the hollow, sycophantic chuckles of Death Eaters, were all sounds he had grown accustomed to. But, the sound of pure, untainted joy was something he had almost forgotten. He had felt that too, once, hadn't he?

Hermione's smile slowly faded as once again, Draco's gaze lost its focus and slid back into a haunted, faraway look. She cleared her throat, once again alerting him of her presence. As quickly as his shield had faltered, it was back up again once more. His face fell back into a mask of complete iron, his eyes expressionless.

"That settles that, then Granger." He said, shifting his weight more comfortably.

Hermione began chewing her lower lip, the knot from earlier forming once more in her stomach. She sighed, the sun above streaming brightly. Draco glanced up, wincing slightly as the sun beat down upon his skin. He raised his hand and shielded himself.

"Ack! I'm going to bloody melt out here."

A smug smile crossed Hermione's lips. "You should go back then. Definitely wouldn't want to tarnish your perfect skin."

He snorted and turned his head. "Not bloody likely. Besides, my skin will never become flawed. I will never get those freckles you've got sprinkled across your nose."

Hermione blushed, her hands instinctively coming up to her nose and covering it. "Arrogant prat," she muttered beneath her breath.

Draco smiled and lifted his eyebrows. "Precisely. And don't forget that Granger." He sighed contentedly and leaned back. "So," he leaned closer to Hermione, his eyes peering up at her. Entirely too aware of his sudden closeness, she leaned away. He rolled his eyes before continuing, "What was Potter doing on the train? A bit old to be eavesdropping, aren't we?"

It was her turn to roll her eyes. "I told him it was a terrible idea. He's gotten into his head you were ah-" she broke off abruptly, a small frown shadowing her face. Draco scoot closer, a small shudder of overall creepiness settling on her body as he did so. Curiosity piqued, he inquired further.

"Go on. What was I doing?"

She huffed. "Harry was under the impression you were up to something evil."

Draco chortled. "Hardly," he lied smoothly, drawing his left arm back ever so subtly.

His arm went unnoticed, (thankfully) by the brunette witch, who was now ranting rather obnoxiously.

"And I absolutely told him that he was wrong. But Harry can be so stubborn sometimes! And then there's Ron who blindly supports everything Harry says, including his somewhat unfairly based bias."

Draco stared at her, warily, hesitantly attempting to break through her rant, but it continued.

"Granger?"

"I mean, I understand their suspicions. But for him to just blatantly accuse you of being a…a…" she sputtered before continuing, "it doesn't matter. Because you aren't."

"Granger."

"It's exactly these blind accusations that cause ignorance and hate. Precisely what happened in the Americas during the 1600's. Did you know women were actually burned because they were accused of witchcraft? Exactly. Now I'm not saying Harry wants to burn you, per say." She rattled on.

"GRANGER." He placed his hands on her shoulders and shook her slightly.

She squealed and scrambled backwards. "Don't touch me! Malfoy! What is wrong with you?!"

He glared. "Woman! You would be _blessed_ if I were to touch you in any way other than attempting to shut your mouth. However, your incessant jabbering is giving me a bloody headache." He crossed his arms and frowned.

Hermione threw a small, dead leaf at him. "You hush. You asked a question and-"

"And you began telling me your life's story. I get it."

Hermione's mouth snapped shut, her temper flaring slightly. "Well you asked, ferret."

Draco grimaced. "Don't call me that."

Her lips began twitching again, her brown eyes dancing gleefully. "So, Draco…"

His name again. They both sat there in silence for a moment, his pale cheeks turning a light shade of pink as she spoke his name again. He shifted uncomfortably as she continued.

"What was it like?"

Tongue suddenly inarticulate, he spoke clumsily. "What was what like?"

She leaned forward, a mischievous smile lit on her face. "Being in Crabbe's pants?"

He coughed in disgust, gagging slightly as that terrifying memory seeped it's way to cross his features. "Ugh. Granger. Must you?"

She snorted, her laughter once again tickling the air around them.

"If you're so curious, get in them yourself." He grumbled.

Hermione threw another leaf. "Not likely. Besides, I thought I'd ask you since you were the one with intimate knowledge. Who do I look like, Lavender Brown?"

Draco cocked an eyebrow. "Speaking of, seems like Weasley has an admirer. She fancies him."

Her laughter stopped abruptly. He felt a small twinge of regret as she stopped. Hermione stared at Draco.

"That…that wouldn't happen. Ron. Ron doesn't even know her name." She turned away from him.

Draco's jaw nearly dropped. "You can't seriously be insecure about _Brown_, can you?"

She sniffed haughtily, "Of course not. I'm just stating the improbability of Ronald and Lavender ever becoming anything more than just house-mates."

"Watch what you say, Granger. You'll see. He's an idiot and so is she. Idiots tend to latch to each other."

"Oh so is that how Crabbe and Goyle are together, then?"

His lips twitched, a small smile thawing his icy stare.

"I suppose so."

Silence again settled between them. There was a silent, but acknowledged sign of amiability passed between the two, and unbeknownst to each other, they were slowly becoming fools themselves.

They spoke at the same moment, their voices colliding with each other.

"Well Granger. You beat me to it. The spot is yours. I for one, am dying of heat." He slowly stood up, and shook off the loose dirt from his trousers, missing the small glance of disappointment that flashed in Hermione's expression.

"Don't-" she halted as he regarded her, slightly shocked. She cleared her throat. "Erm…be late for class, of course." She finished lamely.

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Of course. Well, bye, Granger." Draco turned and walked up the lane through the trees, slowly becoming smaller and smaller off in the distance.

Hermione leaned back and chewed her lower lip, replaying the morning's unexpected turn of events. She sat there silently, unaware that he was doing the same thing as he neared the Great Hall, feeling far more content than he had the previous summer.


	4. Chapter 4

[[DISCLAIMER: Honestly. If I were affiliated with JK Rowling in any way, shape, or form, (excluding being a fan of her work) do you think I'd be lurking around FanFiction? Probably not. Anyways! Huge "Dramione" fan, always have been, always will be (haters gon' hate.) Set in the Trio's sixth years, I've tried to remain as canon as possible regarding timeline wise. Clearly the pairing is not canon. But I hope you enjoy :D]]

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys, sorry for the lag in update! Still around. Keep reviewing. I only have one, lonely review, and would love more. Much love 3

"Iris"—Chapter Four

Draco's footsteps faded further and further away, leaving Hermione alone in the silence she thought she had wanted. She sighed and leaned against the tree trunk, her eyes wandering to the carving she had made. A smile twitched at her lips as she stood. Tracing hers and Draco's handiwork, Hermione raised her eyebrows, replaying their interaction in her mind. In the brief moments they spent together, the idea that was Draco Malfoy was completely shattered. Without his ever stupidly loyal house-mates, she found someone who could very easily be _human._ She sighed and flattened her palm against the tree.

With a final glance and a touch, Hermione turned and began walking up the path towards the castle. She made her way to the Gryffindor tower, ignoring the few, scattered students roaming the corridor. With a hastily muttered password and a quick trip up to her dorm, Hermione found herself in the company of still dozing house-mates. Parvati Patil groaned as Hermione entered into the room, murmuring something about the noise. She turned in her bed as Hermione rummaged around, pulling off her jeans and jumper before replacing them with her uniform. She turned and picked up her Prefect badge, a smile spreading across her face as she neatly pinned it to her robes.

Before she could further disrupt the slumber of her dorm mates, Hermione left and walked back down her stairs to the Common Room. She was greeted by the familiar sight of Ron yawning.

"Morning Ronald. Is Harry awake yet?" She grinned at the matching Prefect badge fixed crookedly on his robes.

He nodded his head. "Yeah. He'll be down in a minute. Have you been up for a while?" He eyed her warily.

Hermione paused for a moment. "You could say that, I went for a brief walk."

Ron raised his eyebrow. "Blimey, Hermione. Do you not sleep? It's barely dawn."

She rolled her eyes. "Ronald, it's past eight."

Before he had time to respond, Harry appeared on the stairs. His hair still tousled from sleep, he nodded Ronald's similar fashion towards her. Harry immediately began regaling his tale about the events on the train. She listened carefully, her thoughts drifting again to the admittedly affable conversation they had had only half an hour prior. Hermione frowned, unable to see how the same Draco Malfoy she had spoke to earlier had anything to do with the man Harry was describing. She nodded in agreement to Ron's comment, adding her own bit of logic, only to have Harry frowning at her response. Students began wandering into the Common Room, listening closely to their conversation.

Noticing the captured attention of their new audience, Harry, Ron, and Hermione started to exit. Irritated, she turned towards a first year running past holding a Fanged Frisbee. "Hold it," she said, "Fanged Frisbees are strictly forbidden."

She plucked it from his hands, watching as the child walked away grumbling angrily. Ron quickly took it from her, gloating about his newly possessed prize as he clutched it.

"Ronald!" she began scolding.

A loud squeal erupted from behind them. The three of them turned their heads, watching as Lavender Brown walked past, still giggling behind her hands. Ron's gaze fixed upon Lavender as she settled her eyes on him. Draco's voice haunted her thoughts. _"Idiots tend to latch to each other." _

In spite of the noticed exchange, Hermione started smiling to herself. The trio turned into the corridor, a large, lumbering figure looming in front of their path. They glanced into the familiar face of Hagrid, beaming down on them. They all turned and glanced at each other, unable to respond as he chattered away about his Care of Magical Creatures class. He walked away, clearly oblivious to their guilty silences.

"I just don't have enough time" Hermione groaned, her expression matching both Harry and Ron's. "I mean, just because we did the work doesn't mean we would continue it."

Harry sat and avoided meeting either of their glances, muttering under his breath. "As if you would have let us miss any assignment in spite of whatever class we took."

She huffed. "There is absolutely no excuse for laziness, Harry. Failing is simply not an option."

"Speak for yourself," Ron quipped before diving nearly face first into breakfast.

Hermione's eyes narrowed as she neatly brought two eggs to her plate. She maneuvered around Ron as she gingerly reached for the bacon, lifting a few pieces that had managed to escape Ron's path of destruction.

Hermione continued her meal, another familiar Gryffindor sliding into the seat next to her. She turned her head at the other red-head. Ginny sat and watched her brother in open disgust as he continued devouring his breakfast. Hermione smirked.

"Morning Gin. How're you?"

"Peachy," she responded, still eyeing her sibling as he swallowed another egg whole. "Excited for this term. I feel like it could perhaps be the start of something excited. Especially the Quidditch season." She glanced at Harry excitedly, who nodded in agreement. "Speaking of, have you decided on the try-out dates? I think I shoul-"

Harry's attention had become diverted, the smile that was on his face vanished. His jaw clenched tightly. "Hermione," he whispered, "Malfoy is staring straight at you."

"What?!" Both her and Ginny cried out at the same time, their heads turning simultaneously to face the Slytherin. Ron started choking on his breakfast, his coughs ignored by the others as they gawked at Draco's pointed stare.

Surely enough, Draco Malfoy sat between his house-mates. His gaze however transfixed upon Hermione. Her cheeks flushed pink as she felt the others' gaze also fall upon her. Harry continued speaking to her in a whisper, his glare heating with every moment that passed.

"Hermione. If he's cursing you, tell me. I know I can feel some sort of magic at work. He's attempting to use nonverbal cursing!"

Hermione turned back around, throwing a sausage at Harry's head. Ginny and Ron snorted as it fell limply onto Harry's plate.

"Don't be ridiculous, Harry. He can't hurt me."

"Why was he staring, then?! Hermione. I'm telling you, something is wrong with him. He's been initiated."

Hermione felt her agitation grow.

"Harry. We talked about this. Enough. He's staring because he's a creep, perhaps?"

Ron sniggered. "Yeah, mate. If looks could kill, Malfoy would've dropped dead when you looked at him."

He reached over and plucked the thrown sausage from his plate before adding it to his own.

"Besides. The only one who would be most successful in casting a nonverbal curse would be Hermione."

She grinned and shrugged.

'We haven't started learning that yet. And I would have to agree with Ronald on that one."

The four Gryffindors continued talking, all still aware of the piercing gaze still stuck onto Hermione's form. She shifted uncomfortably, turning around and finding Draco's eyes still stuck on her. She raised her brow at him, staring back for a moment. A small smile crossed his features: noticeable for her, but undetected by the others around them. Blushing once more, Hermione turned back to Ron, Harry, and Ginny.

Nearing the end of breakfast, Professor McGonagall stood from her spot at the professors' table. A small stack of parchment hovered besides her. Hermione straightened in her seat, quickly wiping her mouth and standing to sort out her classes for the term.

She practically ran to McGonagall, eager to sign for her subjects. The elder witch glanced up at Hermione's anxious face. McGonagall nodded and acknowledged her.

"Ms. Granger! I must say I was entirely pleased by your O.W.L scores! Nine 'outstandings' and one 'exceeds expectations'! Quite unsurprised, but pleased entirely. Your parents must be proud."

Hermione beamed warmly at her head of house. "Thank you, professor! They are quite happy with my academic performance. Although I must say, I intend upon maintaining my high marks this term."

Her professor smiled. "Of course. I wouldn't expect any less. Now: I assume you would like to continue you N.E.W.T studies in…"

"Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Herbology, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Potions, if I can", said Hermione.

McGonagall nodded and waved her wand over a piece of parchment. She handed it to Hermione. "Very well, Ms. Granger. And congratulations once more."

"Thank you, professor!"

Hermione walked away happily, her schedule clutched in her hand.

All of the commotion in the hall halted however, with a suddenly loud exclamation erupting from the Slytherin table.

"Well. Looks like I'm off to Ancient Runes, then. It'll be nice being the first one to class."

Draco Malfoy stood near the edge of the Slytherin tables, his schedule also safely tucked in his fingers. He glanced at Hermione, his announcement finished before he turned and began walking out of the Great Hall. Hermione could barely contain her smile before turning back to Ron and Harry. They stood frozen, thoroughly confused by Draco's sudden declaration.

"Well, I'm off."

"What?!" They both stared.

Hermione hastened to grab her things, sliding her bookbag neatly on her shoulder. She turned back to them.

"You can't honestly think that I would allow Malfoy to beat me to class on the first day, can you?"

With that, she turned and nearly sprinted for the door. She turned into the main corridor, happily moving through the halls before turning a corner and facing a figure. Without batting an eye, she grinned up at the figure who stood alone.

"Hello Draco."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys! Thanks for tuning in to chapter four. I know its moving along slowly. Don't worry, the story can do nothing but pick up from here. I tried keeping the dialogue in the chapter as close as I could to the book without plagiarizing. ^_^ and of course filled in a few things. Chapter five is on it's way! Keep an eye out, and please REVIEW. I would absolutely love it if I heard some feedback from you guys.


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